Sharks opts for easy warm-up games

According to the Beeld website, Keegan Daniel‘s men will play the Leopards at the Woodburn Stadium in Pietermaritzburg on February 8, before facing the Pumas at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit a week later.

Sharks assistant coach Grant Bashford said a lot of emphasis was put on the players’ conditioning during the off-season.

Flyhalf Butch James and lock Franco van der Merwe – who joined from the Lions at the end of last season – are already hard at work with their new team-mates, while Springbok Frans Steyn will also be part of the squad after ending his contract with French club Racing Metro.

The Sharks start their Super Rugby campaign agaisnt the Stormers at Kings Park on March 2.